Hulu is busy expanding to new international markets and acquiring more content for its viewers. You wouldn’t think that until a month ago it was up for sale as its current owners looked to pass it off to someone else.
Hulu Back On Course
Now that Hulu is no longer being sold, basically because no one was willing to pay the asking price and accept the conditions of the sale, the company is forging ahead with its plans to build on the success it has experienced so far.
We’ve already seen Hulu launch in Japan, representing the first international expansion for the company. And this week Hulu secured new premium content, with The CW being added to its channel lineup.
You have to wonder what all that fuss about wanting to sell was in the first place, because there is clearly a solid business here.
Hulu Welcomes The CW
has acquired the current season shows from The CW. This means new episodes from the likes of The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, Supernatural, and The Secret Circle will be available to watch on Hulu.
Hulu and The CW have signed a five-year deal. Hulu Plus subscribers will get the five most recent episodes the day after broadcast, with the free Hulu getting them eight days later. The same episodes will turn up for free on CWTV.com three days after broadcast.
In a blog post announcing the deal Andy Forssell, Senior Vice-President Content & Distribution, said:
Even though I’m admittedly not the target demographic for The CW — a network that targets young women ages 18-34 — that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize and appreciate great content when I see it. And The CW is home to some of the most engaging and clever shows on TV today.
The CW’s serialized dramas and reality series are precisely the kind of shows we aggressively pursue for our service – the kind of shows that attract a young, engaged, and savvy fan base … and that make that fan base care deeply.
Conclusions
CW president Mark Pedowitz said it best when he claimed this is “a win for everyone involved, the network, the stations, Hulu and ultimately, the viewers.” The CW hopes its presence on Hulu will build awareness and ultimately drive viewers back to the station. While Hulu gains more content to tempt subscribers in with. And viewers get options. Which is all they really ever ask for. If only all studios were this forward-thinking.
